UNICEF Urges Media to Hold Leaders Accountable on Child Welfare, Promote Responsible Reportage

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on media practitioners to play a crucial role in holding leaders accountable for child welfare in Nigeria as the country approaches a critical election period.

The head of the UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Dr. Karanveer Singh, made the call in his keynote address at a workshop on Ethical Journalism and Child Rights Training for Media Practitioners in Kano and Jigawa State, organized by the organization.

He described ethical reporting on children as crucial, noting that it is vital to Nigeria’s functioning society and especially important for the future of the country’s children.

He said: “The first reason is that Ethical Reporting Builds Trust and Heals Division. In a nation or society with diverse ethnicities, religions, and perspectives, the media is the glue that can hold people together—or the wedge that can drive them apart.

“Ethical journalism, characterized by accuracy, fairness, and balance, is the antidote to misinformation and hate speech.

“When you verify a fact before publishing, when you present multiple sides of a story, you are not just being professional; you are building a foundation of trust with your audience.”

Singh noted that in the fragile context of northwest Nigeria, where insecurity and tension exist, responsible reporting can cool tempers, promote dialogue, and foster peace.

The head of UNICEF office in Kano expressed sympathy with the enormous challenges face by working journalists in the cause of their duties adding, you operate under various pressures, security threats, and sometimes, immense political pressure.

“The temptation to sensationalize, to take shortcuts, or to bow to influence is real. But it is precisely because of these challenges that your ethical commitment to reporting, especially of children, matters more, not less.”

In his welcome remarks, the Managing Director of Kano State Radio Corporation, Alhaji Abubakar Rano, represented by the Deputy Director of Programmes, Aisha Usman, who doubles as UNICEF Focal Person, underscored the critical roles of journalists in shaping public opinion and influencing government decisions, in favour of the child.

According to her, “children are vulnerable and need protection. If we report carelessly, we may harm their dignity, expose their identity, or create stigma.”

In a presentation titled “Ethical Principles in Reporting Children’s Issues,” UNICEF Kano Communications Specialist, Samuel Kaalu, maintained that countries that are signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are legally bound to implement its provisions, which are monitored by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Kaalu named four guiding principles of the convention to include: non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, the right to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of the child.

Another facilitator, Dr. Jide Johnson, described the media as the protector, not the violator of the child’s right.

Mr. Lekan Sote, in his presentation, drew a line when a journalist should report issues concerning children, and when not to report, with great emphasis on the kind of words used in reporting children, according to the circumstances surrounding the incidence.